Author Topic: Tube market in danger? (Read 170 times)

valvil · « **on:** June 02, 2006, 05:11:57 PM »

Interesting article I read in the NY times a few days ago regarding the vacuum tube biz.

Here's a link to the International Herald Tribune site, which also carried it.

http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/05/08/business/cheat.php

Valentino

bigredbass · « **Reply #1 on:** June 02, 2006, 07:10:35 PM »

OK, so they say that Russia is one of three countries with tube production: Who are the other two?

Is tube production now such an ancient and arcane technology that one could NOT go into business now without fabricating the production machinery from old blueprints? Is it comparable to going back into production of steam locomotives or radial aircraft engines?

My understanding is that the former Soviet Union stayed with tube production as supposedly tube circuits were impervious to electromagnetic pulse following a nuclear detonation. Hard to imagine MiG29's flying around with tubes behind the control panel, but true.

I've always worried about the scenario of running out of tubes one day from purely economic reasons as demand slowly decreased as overhead slowly rose for the businesses involved.
But of course, in most of this world, payoffs are a cost of doing business, but the problem is that it always goes up and up. It's alarming from the standpoint that we may be headed to a time where any and all tubes, no matter how pedestrian, go for the rates of 'vintage' tubes that are for sale now.

J o e y

valvil · « **Reply #2 on:** June 02, 2006, 07:37:33 PM »

The other 2 are China and the Czech Republic.

Valentino

bigredbass · « **Reply #3 on:** June 02, 2006, 07:43:31 PM »

Well, China could be the same song, second verse.

On the other hand, the Czechs hit the ground running the minute the Warsaw Pact went the way of the dodo. The Czech-sourced instruments I've seen (the Spectors and NS bowed instruments) are first rate, and hopefully so are their tubes.

J o e y

valvil · « **Reply #4 on:** June 02, 2006, 07:57:45 PM »

I agree about Czech craftsmanship, Joey; those guys have a serious tradition over there. They also make incredible beer.

I always thought that the Czech-made Spectors were a great value buy compared with the American made ones. Both really nice and well made, but one about half the price of the other.

Valentino

jalevinemd · « **Reply #5 on:** June 02, 2006, 09:25:03 PM »

The Czech-made Dean guitars are supposed to be excellent as well.

bigredbass · « **Reply #6 on:** June 03, 2006, 10:12:16 AM »

The Czechs have a long history of fabulous bowed instrument craftsmanship.

I saw a NY-state Spector at a dealer ($5K) sitting next to an identically built Czech NS2 ($2K), and aside from not a lot of difference in the quilt maple figure and abalone markers, there CERTAINLY wasn't three grand difference in the build quality. I applaud Spector for maintaining a US production base, but however he and Ned S came up with outsourcing to the Czech Republic, it was a SMART move.

So is it just financial suicide to BUILD a new tube production facility? OR, sell the property to this Russian Mafia and MOVE the equipment to a suitably benign business location?

J o e y

keith_h · « **Reply #7 on:** June 03, 2006, 11:31:22 AM »

So is it just financial suicide to BUILD a new tube production facility?

One of the issues with vacuum tubes was their manfacturing is highly polluting (at one at least). This was one of the things that hastened the end of tube manufacuring in the US. Countries such as Russia and China are much looser on their environmental laws which helped keep manufacturing costs down. I expect that the cost of moving and meeting a stable countries environmental laws to be more than you could make back in a reasonable time.

jalevinemd · « **Reply #8 on:** June 03, 2006, 11:47:23 AM »

All I know is that a set of four new old stock EL34 Mullard tubes will cost me about $500 for my Hiwatt, should I need to replace them.